From the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin:
Monday March 19, 2007
Tier congregations oppose stance on gays
By William Moyer
Two local Episcopal churches want to withdraw from their regional diocese and affiliate themselves with others who abide by orthodox Anglican doctrine, which teaches that homosexual behavior is incompatible with Christian teaching.
St. Andrew's in Vestal and Church of the Good Shepherd in Binghamton are talking with officials at the Episcopal Diocese of Central New York about moving their membership rolls and properties to other jurisdictions.
"Given the Episcopal Church is not willing to abide by the ruling of the Anglican Communion, we're going to withdraw and go with another body (within the communion)," said the Rev. Anthony Seel, pastor of St. Andrew's. "On Sundays, we keep our focus on worship, but it's demoralizing to go through something like this."
The crux of both congregations' discontent is the consecration in 2003 of a practicing homosexual as bishop of New Hampshire and the church leadership's tolerance of spiritual blessings for same-sex unions.
The two local churches contend both acts are contrary to the canon law that governs churches and clergy who are members of the Anglican Communion.
The stand puts the two local churches directly at odds with the Episcopal Church's regional bishop, who's headquartered in Syracuse.
Both churches went on record last year to seek oversight of a bishop in an orthodox province elsewhere in the Anglican Communion.
"I will not sacrifice GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender) people for the sake of an unjust unity," Bishop Gladstone "Skip" Adams wrote in a letter to diocesan clergy. "I will not ask gay and lesbian people to go to the back of the bus for a time. The gifts of God's GLBT people will continue to be welcome in this Diocese."
The bishop's letter came in the wake of a decision in February by the high-ranking primates of the worldwide Anglican Communion who met in Tanzania and imposed a Sept. 30 deadline on national Episcopal Church leaders to halt the two practices. Otherwise, the primates vowed to invoke sanctions against the Episcopal Church, which includes the Central New York area.
With all due respect to the international primates, the Episcopal Church's structure does not allow for a decision by September, said the Very Rev. Noreen Suriner, dean of the Binghamton District.
Suriner said only the General Convention, which doesn't meet until
2009, can speak to the issue on behalf of the entire church.
NATIONAL DISCONTENT
The two local congregations are not the only Episcopalians who are upset by the Episcopal Church's stance. Bishop Robert Duncan of the Diocese of Pittsburgh and nine other dioceses with 900 congregations want to form a new structure that would be linked with like-minded adherents who consider homosexual behavior to be contrary to Scripture.
Some have likened the current discontent to another controversy three decades ago that doomsayers predicted would divide and weaken the Episcopal Church. About 8,000 members -- far less than a predicted 100,000 -- left when the church started to ordain women.
A controversy that threatens a schism among the ranks is nothing new to the Episcopal Church.
"It's like 1976 all over again," said the Rev. Arthur Doersam, a retired Episcopalian priest, referring to the year when the Episcopal Church starting ordaining women.
Those who want to split the church over the issue of homosexuality "are less than 10 percent of the church," said Doersam, who lives in Johnson City. "But they're so vocal it blows everything out of proportion."
Suriner said most rank-and-file Episcopalians are living with their differences rather than leaving the church.
"I believe all people are children of God, regardless of who they are," said Suriner, pastor of Trinity Memorial Episcopal Church in Binghamton. "I don't want to put myself in God's position of deciding who's a sinner. My job is to welcome all people."
LOCAL UNREST
St. Andrew's parishioners voted, 48-7, to withdraw from the diocese; Good Shepherd's vestry passed a resolution in July to affiliate with an orthodox Anglican province.
"The Episcopal Church is no longer respecting the authority of Scripture or the traditions of the church," said the Rev. Matthew Kennedy, pastor of Good Shepherd. "We cannot follow in that direction."
Talks between the two churches and the diocese have been put on hold while national leaders study their response to the September deadline from the worldwide communion, said the Rev. Canon Karen C. Lewis, assistant to Adams.
Lewis said the diocese wants the church to stay in the Central New York area, which covers an area from Alexandria Bay near Canada, south to the New York-Pennsylvania border, east to Utica and west to Waterloo. About 22,500 members are on the rolls at 100 churches.
"It is not Bishop Adams' intent that these churches leave," she said. "The breadth and depth of our tradition is the gospel. We're saddened when folks say they want to leave."
Still, the bishop's letter laid out the possibility of some sheep leaving the flock.
"Is it possible that parts of the church will have to walk apart for a time? As much as that would grieve me, I believe that is a possible outcome," he wrote. "I will continue to hold up the faithful witness of GLBT people. That may necessitate some hard decisions down the road if those values are in conflict."
The issue has taken its toll on both local congregations.
Since 2003, St. Andrew's roll has dropped by 35 to 215 members and worship attendance has dipped to 82 from over 100. Financially, the church has been unable to pay its diocesan assessments, Seel added, because annual offerings are down by roughly $30,000 compared to 2003, when Eugene Robinson, who is involved in a homosexual relationship, was consecrated bishop of New Hampshire.
At Good Shepherd, Kennedy said his congregation lost about 30 parishioners since 2003, but also gained members to stay at 130. Worship attendance has dropped to an average of 50 from 80 in 2003. The church has not paid its estimated $15,000 annual assessment to the diocese in several years.
The churches and diocese want to avoid a court fight.
The only other Episcopal church in the Central New York Diocese that wants to withdraw -- St. Andrew's in Syracuse -- is currently involved in a state Supreme Court lawsuit over disposition of its property.
St. Andrew's has considered the Convocation of Anglicans in North America or the Anglican Mission in the Americas as possible affiliations. Good Shepherd did not mention any specific future affiliation.
Staff writer Brian Liberatore contributed to this report.
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